


The Reveal

by thatsoccercoach



Series: Which Door? [10]
Category: Outlander & Related Fandoms, Outlander Series - Diana Gabaldon
Genre: Family Feels, Fluff, Modern AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-20
Updated: 2018-03-20
Packaged: 2019-04-04 23:49:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,064
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14031537
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thatsoccercoach/pseuds/thatsoccercoach
Summary: Claire and Jamie share the news of their unexpected blessing with their family.





	The Reveal

                                                            

“ _How_ ,” Claire huffed from atop the down-filled comforter on their bed, “did this happen?”

Jamie stuck his head around the corner from the bathroom where he was shaving to better see and hear what she was talking about. “Wha’?”

“ _This_ ,” she pointed at her belly. “I meant, when did it get this big?” her eyes were round with emphasis.

“ _It_ , Sassenach?” He grinned at her. They didn’t know if the baby was a girl or a boy. The mystery of it was thrilling him. It was driving Claire crazy.

“The baby you dolt.” She smirked then stretched the fabric of her dress one way, then another arching her back and trying to minimize the prominence of her still small in reality bump. “The baby is the size of a plum! Why am _I_ this big already.”

“Yer perfect. The bairn is perfect. What’s brought this on?” He came in from the bathroom and crawled onto the bed, hovering over her and looking her in the eye. “Are ye truly worried about how you look, Claire?” Concern filled his eyes. It wasn’t like her to be superficial, but she’d also never been in this situation before. Maybe she really wasn’t confident in her own skin, he mused.

“It’s not that,” she stated firmly then backtracked a bit. “I mean, I’m not comfortable like this. I don’t love it. But I do love that this is our child,” she smiled incandescently at him. “It’s only that I wanted to actually surprise Jenny and Ian, not just waddle up to them!” While Jamie had wanted to call his sister and best friend as soon as they’d found out about the baby, he’d been easily talked into surprising them face to face. Seeing a speechless Jenny was something he always looked forward to!

He laughed, kissed her on the nose then the belly, and got up, offering her his hands. “Throw on a jacket, Sassenach. Or a sweater. They’ll be none the wiser ‘til  we’ve told ‘em.”

* * *

Jenny, Ian, wee Jamie and Maggie Murray had been away for nearly two months. An offer associated with Ian’s job had given him the chance to go to the United States and speak at a conference in Seattle. Jenny and the bairns had come along as well for the experience. Now that they were back, regular family get-togethers could continue once more. So Jamie and Claire were driving up to see the Murrays.

What should have been a relatively short and pleasant drive was disrupted on several occasions: Three times for Claire to pee and twice to vomit. Pregnancy had not been easy on her so far. As they neared Jenny and Ian’s house Jamie was praying that Claire would be well enough that they didn’t have to stop again. At the moment she was sleeping, slumped against the window, her face pale making the dark circles under her eyes stand out. He wondered if he ought to let her sleep after they arrived. Wee Jamie knocking on the car’s window made the decision for him.

“Nunkie?” he hollered through the window. “Auntie? _Nunkie?!_ ” he thumped the palm of his small hand repeatedly on the glass leaving small smudges behind.

“ _Oh for fu-_ ,” Claire bolted upright and began to exclaim only to stop abruptly upon seeing her tiny nephew with his face pressed to the glass. “For goodness sake,” she finished lamely, tamping down the mad curls springing from her head.

Jamie snorted and grinned at his disheveled wife. “Well, Sassenach. Shall we go tell the family?”

Biting her lower lip, she smiled back still a bit groggy from sleep, and nodded. He hopped out of the car, ran around to her side scooping up wee Jamie on the way in a fit of giggles, and opened her door offering her a hand.

He’d missed Ian and Jenny’s company, he realized, greeting his best friend in a rough hug. Claire pecked Ian on the cheek and held little Maggie tight, then with the tiny girl still in her arms, managed a side hug for Jenny. They all headed into the sitting room to catch up.

Midway through a conversation with Ian and Jenny about the most exciting spots they’d visited on their travels, Jamie noticed Claire stiffen beside him. Covertly, he glanced at her from the corner of his view. She was beginning to turn pale again. “Sorry,” Claire said abruptly, plunking Maggie down with a toy on the floor. “Washroom!” and scuttled away. Maybe they should have stayed home? His attention was drawn back by Jenny who was asking a question.

“Brathair, is there something amiss wi’ Claire? She’s been quiet since ye arrived and typically she’s,” Jenny paused for a word in an attempt to be tactful. “Not,” she finished lamely.

“Oh, aye?” he asked, as if he hadn’t noticed what she was getting at. “I dinna ken what you’re talkin’ about,” he continued and switched back to the conversation they’d been having before his wife’s abrupt departure, Jenny all the while shooting him skeptical glances.

Moments later Jenny’s look of skepticism abruptly changed to shock. Claire had hung her jacket up before she entered the room again. With one hand on the small of her back, you could definitely tell that she was pregnant. Jamie grinned. Jenny gaped. Claire acted as if nothing was happening, coming back in and sitting down beside him once more, smiling demurely.

“So, where were we?” She asked brightly, all the while knowing that there was no way the conversation would be picked back up.

“But you… you’re…” Jenny sputtered. “You’re _pregnant_.”

“Yes,” Claire smiled innocently. “Have been for some time,” she crossed her legs elegantly. Jamie stifled a snort.

Ian, as was typical for the compassionate and gentle soul that he was, found something coherent to say first. “It seems as if congratulations are in order,” he stated simply, the smile on his face almost matching Jamie’s. Then, launching himself out of his seat he engulfed Claire in a warm embrace.

The room quickly devolved into happy chaos, soon including wee Jamie who was thrilled at the thought of a cousin to play with and Maggie who had no idea what was happening but was excited because everyone else was.

 _This_ , Claire thought, was family. This was what she’d missed through much of her life. Now, this was what she’d have forever.


End file.
